Hell yeah! First day on the job, and her boss is pleased with her findings so far. Now she’s got her own office and everything. Nice. She just wishes she knew more about her anonymous… benefactor? They haven’t actually met in person, just interracted via email. Maybe that’s safer, for now…
She’ll worry more about that later. Tonight, she has a date.
Layla: Hey! Sorry I’m late, I got held up working on this case…
Kurt: What, are you a cop?
Layla: No, no way! More like, uh, private investigator? I probably shouldn’t have said that. Anyway, how’s it going?
Layla: And the police aren’t even considering the possibility the deaths might be supernatural in nature! Even when this city literally has people who fucking glitter. They’re not even trying to hide their true nature, so I figure either the cops are in on it, or they have agents controlling it. Either way, going private is the only way to get to the bottom of things…
Kurt: Right on. So, can I buy you a drink?
Kurt: What are you looking at?
Layla: Just checking we aren’t being watched.
Kurt: Has anybody ever told you you’re kinda paranoid?
Layla: So, what do you do? For work, I mean.
Kurt: I’m a video editor!
Layla: Oh cool, are you working on like, movies, or…?
Kurt: Nothing that exciting. Mostly its people’s wedding footage, stuff like that. I’m hoping to get into music videos eventually…
I let them free-range a little on this date, and they actually sat down to play chess together all by themselves. He might seem like a dumbass, but Kurt plays a mean game of chess. She kinda likes him!
Layla: Phew, I’m beat. Want to call it a night?
Kurt: Yeah, okay.
Layla: I’d like to do it again sometime. If me blabbering away about my conspiracy theories didn’t scare you off.
Kurt: No way, it was interesting!
Evil Witch: Going somewhere, dear?
Layla: Augh!! Where did you come from?
p>Evil Witch: I heard you’ve been “investigating” my kind. I’d advise you to take down that little blog of yours, if you value your life.Layla: How did you-
p>Evil Witch: Have a good night, Ms Fiero.
Layla refused to be deterred by the witch’s words. If she was getting threats, maybe she was actually onto something? Anyway, she’d worry about that old hag later. It was her day off, and she’d been dying to give surfing a try!
She wasn’t as immediately brilliant as surfing as she’d hoped, but luckily nobody was around to witness her wipe out. With a little practice she’d totally nail this thing, she was sure of it.
Abe: Hey, haven’t you ever heard? No shoes, no shirt, no service?
Layla: Hahaha, in a friggin’ surf shop? I’m wearing a shirt! Kinda. More than can be said for, say, that guy…
Abe: I don’t remember seeing you around here before. Do you surf much?
Layla: Nah, I’m a complete newbie. I always thought it looked pretty cool, though. What about you? You look kind of like a beach bum, no offense.
Abe: None taken. I’m actually a businessman by day, but I still try to get out there on the waves whenever I get the chance.
Layla: Nice, nice! You’ll have to give me some tips.
Abe: I’d love to give you some coaching.
Layla: Oh yeah? Maybe we could chat more over lunch?
Abe: Awesome. I know a place nearby that-
Layla: Woah, hold up.
Abe: Oh, my bad, it’s okay if you don’t-
Layla: No, no, it’s not you. But are you seeing this?
Abe: Seeing what?
Layla: That guy, the one with no shirt! Robbing people in broad daylight???
Abe: I’m sorry, uh-
Layla: Hold on a second.
Layla: Hey, asshole. Give that lady back her wallet or I’ll knock your lights out.
Isaiah: You’re kidding me.
Layla: Fucking try me, buddy.
Isaiah: Fine, whatever. You’re not worth the trouble.
Layla: So, where were we?
Abe: Wow, uh. That was…
Layla: Badass, right?
Abe: I was going to say “stupid”, but sure.
Layla: People need to be proactive in confronting this stuff! Not just sitting around watching crime unfold right before their eyes…
They keep hanging out for a while, but the date kind of fizzles out after her confrontation with the pickpocket. Abe totally doesn’t have her back! Some people just can’t handle strong women. 🙄
She has the stronger chemistry with Abe, but she’s more interested in Kurt right now, judging by her want panel. Of course, she’s a romance secondary with the commitment issues trait, so I’m not 100% sure she’s gonna be a one-man woman anyway, but still. Interesting to note…
Back home, Layla has research to do. The Elixir of Life is a substance said to prolong youth, stave off aging. But some sources claim it can’t work indefinitely. Sooner or later signs of decay start to show, if the elixir is taken for long enough periods. Other books say the signs of decay start to show if one stops taking it - sims develop a dependency on the nectar and start to turn into zombies if deprived of it for too long…
It’s hard to tell fact from fiction when it comes to this stuff. Is it even real, or just a euphemism for some street drug? But that witch did ask her about it, right?
And then of course, the phone rings.
Layla: Oh, friend of Abe’s? Yeah, I’d love a night out, count me in!
It’s a pretty big group, and everyone is very much enamoured with Dale Common. He seems to have a passing interest in Layla, haha, but if I’m remembering right thanks to story progression he’s already romancing Roisin, the one who asked her on the outing in the first place. So maybe hitting on him wouldn’t be the smoothest move…
Yet more muggings happening in the background - poor Roisin! Although since Layla’s got her back turned, he gets away with it…
Roisin: Hey, so. I was about to offer to buy you a drink but I think some asshole swiped my wallet.
Layla: Seriously? This friggin’ city.
Roisin: I know, right? I’m gonna have to start keeping spare cash in my bra at this rate.
Layla: Did you see who it was?
Roisin: I have my suspicions, but looks like the guy already made himself scarce…
Layla: Seriously, let me know if it happens again and I’ll kick the guy’s ass. You have to make a scene sometimes, it’s the only way to make sure nobody messes with you.
Roisin: Are you for real?
Layla: Dead serious!! I grew up in a small town, and nobody would dare pull of a stunt like that back home…
Roisin: It’s tricker in big cities, people can get away with a lot under the cover of anonymity.
Layla: Exactly! But big city or not, you can still build a community, right? Have people look out for each other?
Roisin: You know what, you’re right. You said you were looking into the murders, right? I might know a few people who can help you out…
Layla: And Roisin said she knows someone who knows someone who works in investigation! I have an “in”!
Abe: Cool.
Layla: Plus, apparently, you can buy this elixir stuff on the streets, but nobody knows how it’s made. You know how aliens have been settling here? What if there’s a connection? I’m thinking it could be their tech, but I don’t want to jump to any definite conclusions. After all, the witches-
Abe: Look, you’re hot and all but this is too much. Don’t you ever, like, chill?
It was getting pretty obvious Abe was a total dullard, but eh, she might still hook up with him later down the line. Plus it was getting to know him for networking’s sake if nothing else - now she knew Roisin, who she took an instant liking to, and had a few new leads...